Russian Gulnara Galkina-Samitova dominated the race, but not to the detriment of this event's Olympic debut. Coming into the final, she was the reigning world record holder, but the record was set back in 2004 -- so it was ripe for breaking considering how young this event is on the world stage. She pulled the field out in sub-world record pace, and was closely followed a small pack that included world champion Russian Yekaterina Volkova and her compatriot Tatyana Petrova, Kenyan Eunice Jepkorir (world champs bronze in 2007) and Spain's Marta Dominguez. They came through the first kilometer in 2:58 before Samitova began to gap the rest of the lead pack. She was slightly off record pace by 2K, coming through that mark in 6:01.

Once on her own, she ratcheted the pace back down and surged through the line in 8:58 with a smile filling her face, her chapter in history written. Behind her, much drama ensued. Jepkorir had pulled away from Volkova and Dominguez over the third kilometer, but with 300m to go the Russian and the Spaniard closed the gap on the Kenyan. Dominguez caught her toe on the barrier on the backstretch and went down hard on the far side. She rolled off the track and tried to get up to keep running, but collapsed on the infield. Volkova and Jepkorir cleared the water pit stride for stride and only after the final barrier was Jepkorir able to put daylight between herself and the Russian.

The two Americans held back from the fast pace and picked a few off,
with Jenny Barringer breaking her own American and continental record with
9:22.26 for ninth. Anna Willard ran 9:25.63 for tenth.

FINAL

1

Gulnara Samitova-Galkina

RUS

8:58.81

(WR)

2

Eunice Jepkorir

KEN

9:07.41

(AR)

3

Yekaterina Volkova

RUS

9:07.64

(SB)

4

Tatyana Petrova

RUS

9:12.33

(SB)

5

Cristina Casandra

ROU

9:16.85

(NR)

6

Ruth Bisibori Nyangau

KEN

9:17.35

(PB)

7

Zemzem Ahmed

ETH

9:17.85

(NR)

8

Wioletta Frankiewicz

POL

9:21.76

(SB)

9

Jennifer Barringer

USA

9:22.26

(AR)

10

Anna Willard

USA

9:25.63

.

11

Elena Romagnolo

ITA

9:30.04

.

12

Zulema Fuentes-Pila

ESP

9:35.16

.

13

Habiba Ghribi

TUN

9:36.43

.

14

Roisin McGettigan

IRL

9:55.89

.

.

Marta Domínguez

ESP

DNF

Athlete Quotes:

Jenny Barringer: "I didn't even know I was close to an American record. I wasn't paying attention to my splits. I wanted to get an American record in Eugene, but it was much better here in the Olympics, the first steeplechase final for women, with all the USA fans cheering for me. I have mixed feelings about someone going sub-9:00 in the same race. I can say I was in the field when the record was set. But what it really makes me want to do is to use the years ahead to work on my technique, build my aerobic base, and work on my speed and turnover so that I can be up there with them in four years."

Anna Willard: "My race strategy was not to go out at a suicidal pace. The first 2K went about the way I wanted. Then I had trouble closing the gap on the group in front of me. On the last lap, I just didn't have the extra gear that I hoped to have. I'm not disappointed: I made it to the final of the first Olympic steeplechase for women. I think it's good that Jenny and I have a friendly rivalry. It helps us both to be better to have a countryman doing well. I give her props for her American record tonight. I can see us getting down to 9:10 in a couple of years."